Peirene People

Meet the people behind the books:

Meike Ziervogel, Publisher

photo by Roloef Bakker

Meike is a novelist and publisher. She grew up in northern Germany and came to London in 1986 to study Arabic language and literature. She has worked as a journalist for Reuters in London and Agence France Presse in Paris. In 2008 she founded Peirene Press. In 2012 Meike was voted as one of Britain’s 100 most innovative and influential people in the creative and media industries by the Time Out and Hospital Club hClub100 list. Meike is the author of four novels, all published by Salt in the UK. She is currently working on her fifth novel.

Molly Skinner, Publishing Assistant

Before joining Peirene Molly obtained a degree in English literature in London. Whilst studying she became interested in the idea of artistic translation in particular. Currently working towards a Masters in Art History her interest in translation now spans all manner of interdisciplinary topics with European writers cropping up everywhere from academic to pleasure reading.

Ben Britworth, Media and PR Assistant

Ben looks after the media aspects of Peirene. He completed his education to date at The University of Amsterdam, where he obtained an MA in Comparative Cultural Analysis. Previous to this he studied his BA at Queen Mary, University of London. He retains a keen interest for all things academic and is a fervent reader; the more curious or unusual the book the better.

Sacha Davison Lunt, Designer

Sacha is an independent graphic designer who is the Art Director for Peirene.

Sacha graduated from the London College of Communication and also has an MA in Hypermedia Studies from Westminster University. She specialises in editorial and book design and had previously worked as Art Director for the design and architecture magazine, Icon. Her clients include Eye magazine, Warner Classics, Salt Publishing, Dulux and Help Musicians UK. Sacha has also produced several design books for Taschen GmbH including: Designing the 21st Century, Scandinavian Design and the Decorative Arts series.

Sacha’s Peirene Manifesto:

A gift item. A design suitably special to package Meike’s little European gems. Something you want to pick up and touch. Something inviting. Something made with love.

I approach each book in the knowledge that it is part of a series. Collectively, the books have a strong identity, but one flexible enough to allow the individual books to retain a sense of their own character, and shine in their own right.

That flexibility is not just about honouring the stories themselves, of course. It’s also about allowing myself the freedom to play, to have fun with – or even break – the rules I’ve set myself, without breaking the brand identity itself. I hope to be designing the books for many years to come, and I don’t ever want it to be a chore; Peirene deserves more. Each cover needs to feel familiar but fresh. A guarantee of quality, yet always slightly unexpected.